"We will continue the reform of the national defense system and armed forces, as well as will further create powerful and cohesive border, sea and air defense," Li said at the first session of the 13th National People's Congress (NPC).
The report presented by Li said that the government had to take effective measures aimed at supporting the military reform.
The premier also said that China had completed military staff reduction by 300,000 soldiers.
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"Due to cooperation between all interested parties, we completed the task of reducing the army by 300,000 people," Li added.
Earlier in the day, the Xinhua news agency reported that the Chinese military budget would grow by 8.1 percent up to $175 billion in 2018.
